Many reports presented

The 2012 annual reports for both the Wayne County Planning Commission and the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) were topics of discussion a the regular meeting of the Wayne County Commissioners.

- The 2012 annual reports for both the Wayne County Planning Commission and the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District (LWWMD) were topics of discussion a the regular meeting of the Wayne County Commissioners.

Executive Director Nick Spinelli presented the first ever report to the Commissioners. He said the report covers the "last years activities" and "outlines future programs" coming to the lake.

Another portion of the report is an update of a program started in 2011. The competitive grant program provides "Cost-Share funding for watershed improvement projects to property owners in the Wallenpaupack watershed."

In 2012, the program earmarked a total of $75,500 to 13 landowners over two years. These funds were "designated to complete an estimated $285,000" worth of Watershed Improvement Projects, according the report.

The community of Woodland Hills, for example, used leftover monies from a mild snowplowing winter to fix eroded ditches and roads. The program helped the community to install new storm water control structures, stabilize ditches with grass seed and install new culverts.

The report says that the program will continue in the coming year, with an advertisement of funding availability made this spring. The report states any property in the watershed is eligible and that grants may provide up to a 50 percent match of project cost up to $10,000. For more information, call the district office at 570-226-3865.

Another popular program is the Lake Clean-up Day, which last year removed "over 14 tons of debris" from the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack.

Another exciting event the LWWMD will be bringing back for its second year is the Ride for the Lake event, which brought in a net total of $4,671 to help protect Lake Wallenpaupack.

To keep up to date with all that is happening at the lake, visit www.wallenpaupackwatershed.org or like them on Facebook.

The second report of the meeting was presented the Director of Planning/GIS Edward Coar.

Coar presented the annual 2012 Department of Planning report to the commissioners. Coar said the report is required by Act 247 "to be presented annually to the governing body."

The report covers everything from the assimilation of the Planning Department and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to how many subdivision applications the department reviewed.

According to the report, "123 subdivision and land development applications" were reviewed by the department. Included in that number are 97 new lots ant 100 lot additions.

Coar pointed out that of those 97 new lots, "31 of those lots were the re-subdivision of Farmstead Village into lots ranging from 10 to 229 acres." Farmstead Village was created in the 1970s "with approximately 1,000 small lots with the expectation of central sewage" which never came to pass.

The change in population density for Wayne County showed a slight increase in persons per square mile. According to the 2011 estimated Census, the population in the county rose from 52,822 to 53,004, a change of 182 residents. In comparison, surrounding counties experienced a decrease in population density. The Pike County population has gone down for the first time in recent years with a loss of 517 people and the population of Susquehanna County is down as well, with a loss of 184 people.

Page 2 of 2 - In other county business, the transfer of Terri Fulkerson from Early Intervention to the Department of Elections as an election data manager was approved. The approval is effective March 11.